Machine for correcting irregularities in flanges of cans preliminary to sealing the cans



' 4 7 March 1927' G w. BLANKENHORN 620 796 MACHINE FOR CORhECTING IRREGULARITIES IN FLANGES OF CANS PRELIMINARY TO SEALING THE CANS Filed July 51. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNvE/VTDI? r em BLANKENHDRN 1927. 2 ,7 March G. w. BLANKENHORN MACHINE FOR CORRECTING IRREGULARITIES IN FLANGES OF CANS PRELIMINARY TO SEALING THE CANS.

Filed July 31. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet //v vew- 717/? G. w. BLANKEIYHORN Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

'IU I" f ST ES MACHINE FOR CORRECTING IRREGUIJAEITIES I1\T FLANGES, OF CANS TO SEALING THE CAN S. v

e Janrr v PRELIMINARY Application filed July 31, 1922. Serial No. 578,594

This invention relates to improvements;

in canning machinery and resides inthe provision of a machine which will facilitate and increase the etiiciency of canning apparatus. particularly machineskno-wn as syrupers and seamers;

"In the handling of empty cans preliminary to canning operations, the open ends ofthe cans and the fiangesare often bent or" distorted and it has been the practice to correctsuch rregularities by hand 1n -1n- "the open ends of the cans whereby the syruper may be more effectively operate-d and-tight-and uniform seaming means will be provided, the operation of correcting such irregularities beingsuch as will not interfereuwitlrtheprogress ofthe cans in their movement from onecanning machine to the other. i

The'invention possesses other advantages andfeatures some of which, with the -fore-.

going will be set forth at length in the following drescription where I shall outline in full'that form' of the invention whichI have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the pres- 'entzspecification. In said drawings 1 have shown onelform of. the construction of my invention, but it is to be understood that I do n'otlimit myself to such form since the invention as expressed in the claims may be embodied in a plurality. of forms,

' Referring 'to the drawings:

Figure 11 represents a top-plan view of the apparatus of my invention; V

Fig. 2' represents aside elevation of the apparatus parts being broken away and.

other parts being shown in sect-ion for the sake of clearness of illustration;

represents-an end elevation of the apparatus; i

Fig; 4 representsan enlargedside-eleva- .tion partly in section of detailof the apparatus;

GEORGE w. nnnnnnivnonn, or SAN raanorsoo; anaemia; rennin-E E. wITnEnBY GUARDIAN on THE ns ra'rn or sen) enonenw. BLANKENHORN.

"Fig. 5 represents a view at right angles to I Figure being partly' ln elevat on and partlyin section; a Fig. 6 represents an enlarged view in elevation and a'vertical section. of one of the ClGVICGS tor correcting the irregularities in;

the cans;

in section of one of the rollers irregularit es; and

' Fig. 8is a side elevation vof ajcan after being, divided longitudinally to'provide a" space?) in which the upper run of an'end Fig. 7 is a view of an end elevation partly a for correcting lessconveyor a may travel; The conveyor l'is provided with meansfi for engaging and moving the came 6 alongthe usual guide members 7, which latter aswell as the con-' veyor lead to and from the table. The OP- eration ofthe conveyor and the arrangement of thejguidesfis such as will causejcans to be advanced to the machine, 01" my invention and from thence to the drainer and syruper not shown.

Similar mechanisms are arranged upon opposite sides of the table to engage the cans-as the conveyor advances them "to the machine of my invention, and support the" cans while irregularitiesthereof are being corrected. Each of these mechanisms comprises a flexibleendless carrier 8 in the form of a sprocket chain mounted upon sprockets 9 and 10. The sprockets are mounted upon upright shafts 11 and 12 iournaled in bearings 13 mounted upon the table. The shafts 11 of thetwo mechanisms are provided with the table. with. abeveled. gear 18 carried upona drive beveled pinions 14 on their lower ends, which pinions mesh with similar gears 15 carried .upon the end of a shaft 16 journaledv in bearings 17 which latter depend from One of the pinions '14: meshesshaft I9, which'shaft is mounted on a suita motor or other source. of powernot shown,

The arrangement of the twomechanisms as regards the driving thereof, is such that they arerotated in corresponding directions and in synchronism with the conveyor 4, saidmechanisms being located in the same horizontal plane;

The chains or carriers 8 have fixed thereto at spaced points a plurality of can engaging and supporting blocks 22, each of which is of substantially rectilinear outline and provided in its outer face with a semicircular groove or channel 23. The blocks arepreferably made of solid metal and so arranged that when the chains or carriers 8 are rotated, said blocks will advance towards one another at points adjacent the conveyor 4 and pairs ofthe blocks will encompass the cans as they reach a certain point along the conveyor, the opposed edges. of the blocks substantially engaging one another, as shown in Figs, 1 and 3. The blocks are: so constructed that when engaged with the cans the flanges 24 of said cans will overlie the upper flat ends of the blocks. The lower edges of "theblocks are sliolablyengaged with the upper sides of the sections or halves of the table 1 as the conveyor 15 moved along with the chains over said table.

Means is provided upon the table along opposite sides of the space 3 for engaging the bottoms of the cans and causing said cans to be lifted upwardly asthey are advanced into position to be engaged by the blocks. This means comprises longitudinal shoes, 25 having beveled forward ends 26 and which are normally held above the level of the table by springs 27 which springs engage in registering sockets 28 in thetable and members 25 respectively. As the cans encounter the beveled ends 26 they will rise and slide over the uppermost sides of the members 25 so that the flanges 24 will be disposed above the upper ends of the blocks engaging the cans. I A

Mounted upon the table is a means for correcting the irregularities in the cans at their open ends and on the flanges. This means comprises upright frame pieces 29 and 30 which are mounted on respective halves of the table on opposite sides-of the conveyor 4 and path of movement of the blocks 22. A horizontally mounted roller 31 is disposed between the members 29 and 30 upon a shaft 32 to which latter it is fixed. The shaft is mounted in vertical adjustable bearing blocks 33, which latter are mounted in slots 34 inthe respective frame pieces 29 andBO.

I The blocks 33 are engaged upon'their under sides by adjusting screws 35 and upon their 1 upper sides by similar adjusting screws 36, both of which screws are provided with nuts 37 and 38 to regulate the positions of the blocks 33 and roller. An expansion spring 39' is mounted upon each of the screws 36 and b'ea rsdownwardly upon the "131001133; The

roller 31 is cylindrical except for a protuberance 'or'projection 40, which extends from a point central of the ends of the roller, at

"right angles of the longitudinal axis of the roller. The protuberance or projection 40 is of such diameter and shape that it will extend into the open end of the can and uniformly engage the can so as to press the latter into true cylindrical form.

vsprocket arrangement is such that the roller will be moved in synchronism with the movement of the conveyor 4 and blocks 22, whereby asveach can is brought under the roller,

the projection or protuberance 4O willextend into the open end of the can.

Mounted rearwardly of the roller 31 and The i a in substantially thesame horizontal plane I therewith, is a similar cylindrical roller 44.

This roller is mounted inthe frame pieces 29 and 30 in the same manner as the other roller and is adjustable in the same manner. The roller 44 is mounted upon a shaft 45 which is driven by a chain and sprocket arrangement 46 in turn operatively, associated with.

the shaft 32. As the block containing the can moves up to the roller 31, it brings the flange-of the can into position to be engaged and ironed out on top oi the blocks by the roller 44. e

Assuming that the machine of my invention is installed adjacent to drainer and the syruping machine not shown, cans are placed in the conveyor by an operator and are carried'by said conveyor so as to be operated upon byv the machine of my invention; As

the cans engage the -shoes25 they are liftedupwardly and substantially coincident with their engagement W h said shoesa paifbf blocks 22 are brought into position to encompass and engage opposite sides of the can with the flange of the can located above said blocks. The blocks thus engaged withthe can, carry the latter beneath the roller 31 and when the can is so moved, the projection or protuberance 40 will extend into the upper end of thecan and press said end into true cylindrical form thereby correcting any irregularities of the can. a is so shaped that it will move into thecan and press the same into proper shapeat its a open end and then move out of the open end of the can as theroller 31 is rotated and the blocks 12 are advanced, the operation being- The member 40 continuous and not requiring cessation or intermittent movement of the cans. The member 40is primarily designed to correct irregularities in the body ofthe can but will serve in a measure to straighten out irregularities inthe flanges as well. Asthe cans,

move past the roller 31,rtheiflanges24willbe and press into engaged by the roller 44 and pressed against the upper flat surface of the blocks so that any dents or irregularitieswill be smoothed out and the flange will be made uniformly ,fiat and right-angularly extended With relation to the body of the can. After the cans pass from the roller 44 and the blocks are moved apart in such manner that the canwill be released and will be carried-on to the next machine, the syruper, by the conveyor 4. It will be noted that throughout the operation' of the machine, the conveyor serves jto move the cans even when the latter are engaged by the blocks, inasmuch as in the latter'case, the blocks and the conveyor are synchronized in their movement. By adjusting the rollers through the means described, the machine may be made to operate upon cans of differing heights and'by use of different size blocks 22, cans of different sizes may be treated. v

With my invention the troublesome, expensive and laborious system of smoothing out irregularities by hand is dispensed with and the canning operations are not materially prolonged, since the movement of the cans is a continuous one.

A can having irregularities atlts end or its flange end such as a bent portion or a dent, when reaching the syruper Wlll cause the syrup to run out over the side of the can and produce an undesirable condition: in and around the syrupmg machine. Furthermore, such ac'an when reaching the; seal- "ing' machine may not respond to the action of the sealing'operation and produce a poor seal or seam which may be subject torejection. These objections operate to produce losses in canning operations and are entirely overcome by employment of the del vice of my invention.

the cans.

"2. A machine for correcting irregularities in cans having lateral flanges at the open ends thereof and preliminary to'sealing the cans comprising a support, means for moving the cans along the support,'endle'ss car'- riers mounted onthe support on opposite sides of the path of the movement of the cans, members carried by the carriers and arranged to engage the cans as the latter are moved along the supportwith theflanges of the cans overlying said members, means'for elevating the cans to dispose the flanges thereof above the plane of the upper sides of the can-engaging members at the time of engagement of the latter wlth saidicans and a revolving member on the support arranged to engage the flanges'of the cans as the latter are moved-beneath said revolving member, v

8. A machine for correcting irregularities in the lateral flanges atv the open ends of cans preliminary to sealing the cans comprising. a support, members between which the flanges of the cans are engaged, means for moving cans continuously. in one direction to dispose the flanges between said members regardless of whetherthe flanges are bent downwardly or upwardly out of proper position and means for operating said mem-, r

,bers to smooth out irregularities in the flanges of the cans and restore said flanges to normal position durmg and WlthOUt' 1nte-rrupt ng the progress of the cans.

4. A machine for correcting irregularities in the lateral flanges and in the bodies of cans adjacent said lateral'flanges preliminary to sealing the cans, which machineincludes a support, a memberon the support havingsurfaces against which theportions of the cans-containing irregularities areadapted to engage during the operation of vcorrecting said irregularities, means for moving cans in position to so engage said member, a member between which and said surfaces the irregular portions of the can engage, and means operating'sa'id last named member to smooth out and correct irregularities in said cans,"said last named'member comprising a roller adapted 'to engage the flanges of the cans and having an annular protuberance thereon adapted to extend into thevopen ends of the, cans.

GEORGE IBLANKENHORN. 

